


Lull

by Arkie



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Good Alpha Talia Hale, Hurt/Comfort, Malia Tate is a Hale, POV Malia Tate, Soft Peter Hale, Young Peter Hale, ambiguous background badness, explanations? I'll never tell...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:28:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25313839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arkie/pseuds/Arkie
Summary: Peter always smells of sadness and tears, to Malia, but she's never seen him cry./Malia is a distantly confused baby.
Relationships: Peter Hale & Malia Tate
Kudos: 25





	Lull

Peter always smells of sadness and tears, to Malia, but she's never seen him cry.

Instead, on the days of his random presence in the main Hale household, he spends it staring at her, with an intensity she doesn't quite know what to do with. He always keeps nearly out of sight, behind a doorframe or a piece of furniture. She's not sure he even knows she's aware of it. But she doesn't want to make his sadness worse by talking to him.

So, she preens a little at the attention, but otherwise elected to ignore it. He must either really like her or really not, and what problem is that of hers?

But at her fifth birthday, when she's visited by nearly every family member she can name, he doesn't appear, and it makes her a little sad. She remembers the same happening last year.

When there's a lull in the activities and excitement and she finds herself plagued by these thoughts, she goes to Aunt Talia to ask, and Talia gets a soft look in her eye.

"He'll come if he can, darling," she murmurs with warmth. "If he doesn't, I'm sure you'll see him soon anyway."

Malia's eyes fall and her brow pinches. "Does he not like me?"

"Oh, honey." The effect is immediate, and Talia's scent flattens with sadness. She crouches to Malia's level, and lays a gentle hand on Malia's shoulder. "He does like you. He adores you. He just needs time."

 _Why_ , Malia wants to ask, but for once she remains silent. She knows the vague, avoidant answer she'll get.

The birthday goes on, and with the subject out of mind she has great fun. There's lots of cousins to play with and presents to open, and autumnal activities going on outside in the splash of September sun accompanying the on-off rain.

By the end of the day, she's just about forgotten the issue entirely. As guests depart one by one, she falls asleep on a rug by the foot of the sofa, satisfyingly exhausted, and with her hope dwindling quietly to nothing. There's always next year, and like Talia said, he'll come by soon anyway. She still feels a tiny spark of sad inside her.

It's very late, when distant voices filter halfway into her drowsy conscious. They fall quiet, and she's slipping off again when arms slip beneath her and bear her aloft to a warm chest. She's held tight, cradled, and an odd duality of sadness and intense warmth fills the room. Her heavy eyelids slide open, though they needn't, lashes brushing her bearer's neck.

Peter carries her to her room, and his footsteps are very soft and even, like he doesn't want to disturb her. The walk is slow and swaying, and she can feel herself drooping back under, unconsciousness growing too heavy to fight. Her last thought, fighting to be heard, is the distinct impression Peter seems to be savouring this moment of silence and closeness. He's stroking fingers slightly up and down her back, as though reassuring himself she's really there, and committing this to memory.

 _Why_ , she wants to ask, but she's too tired. Her confusion drifts away along with her consciousness, and she falls into the calming lull of sleep as he tucks her away.

**Author's Note:**

> After some time, I realised this AU's working title acronym spells SAD-P, which is really as accurate a description as you could get. 
> 
> Malia doesn't know who her father is here, but the Hales are her family. Peter knows, but he's twenty-two and a mess.


End file.
